java.com/en/download/manual_v6.jsp This was for Java version 6. It is no longer active.
Bug fixes for Java 6 ended April 2013.

java.com Click on the big red "Free Java Download" button. However, I suggest using a different source as the Java downloaded here includes extra software that installs itself in all your web browsers and hijacks your web searches. At least on Windows. You can chose not to install this extra software but it opts you in by default and is tricky to remove. For more on this see A
close look at how Oracle installs deceptive software with Java updates by Ed Bott (Jan. 22, 2013).

www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloadsThis "Java SE Downloads page" is intended for computer nerds rather than the general public. Both Java 7 and
Java 8 are available here. In the "Java Platform, Standard Edition" section at the top of the page,
look in the JRE column and click on the blue Download button.

During the installation, it may say that "Java content is disabled in web browsers". From a security point of view this is a good thing, as all the
security issues with Java come from applets in web pages. If the use of Java in browsers was disabled when Java was un-installed, a record of this is
kept nonetheless (only tested on Windows). A new install of Java will see that you previously had it disabled in browsers and ask to confirm that's still what you want.

On Windows 7, Java runs a program at system startup to check for updates to itself. The program is called SunJavaUpdateSched and it is jusched.exe.

If you need to update Java, I suggest un-installing the old version manually, then downloading the offline version. This way, you get to confirm that the un-install of the old version worked before starting the installation of the new version, and, it makes the new version installation simpler.

On Windows machines, Java is un-installed in the normal manner from the Control Panel. On XP with "Add/Remove
Programs," on Windows 7 it's "Programs and Features". Now, Java is actually called Java, but in the dim old days it
was listed in the Control Panel as "J2SE Runtime Environment". The bad old days also used to accumulate old versions of Java. Now, they should be removed when a new version is installed. Still, on an older PC, it's a good idea to verify that all versions of Java have been removed before installing a new version.

On Windows XP, you can safely disable the Java quick starter service. This needs to be done after each new version installation.

Finally, there is the issue of updating Java. One reason bad guys attack Java is that updates roll out to end users slooooooooowly. In part, this is because Java's self-update checking is/was not done frequently enough. Defaults change over time, but for a long time, Java defaulted to checking for updates once a month. The current default is confusing. As best as I can understand it, Java now (as of Dec. 2012) checks for updates once a week, but only tells you about new versions once a month.

If you want Java to frequently check for updates, then after a new installation of Java, go into the Java thingy in the Windows Control Panel and configure a schedule on the Update tab. The most frequent option is daily. You will need to be logged on as an administrator to change the update schedule.

Not everyone wants, Java to check for updates. This too, can be configured on the Update tab, with one exception. Turning off all update checking does not prevent program jusched.exe from running at boot time. That needs to be done separately.